October prepares several significant changes for Belarusians – from rules for working with bank cards to new conditions at the border and in dormitories. We tell you which innovations come into effect from October and how to prepare for them.

Online wood ordering: no longer need to go to the forest service office. On October 1st, you can order firewood for winter directly from home – through the Ministry of Forestry website. This was reported in the air by Sergei Uldinovich, head of the department. This will notably simplify preparation for the heating season: the entire procedure will move to digital format.

Changes in "Belarusbank": foreign cards cannot be linked. To strengthen protection against fraud, "Belarusbank" is changing the rules for using the mobile app M-Belarusbank. From October 1st, it will no longer be possible to use cards belonging to different people within a single profile. If you currently have other people's cards linked, it is best to delete them before October 1st. Otherwise you risk losing access to your application to all cards – including your own. At the same time, the cards themselves and accounts are not blocked: they can still be used to pay in stores and other organizations. The bank recommends: before October 1st remove non-your cards from the app, then visit a branch and apply for an additional card in your name. This should be done by the account owner. After issuing the new card, it can be added to the app and continued to use the joint account or help a relative with financial operations.

New rules at the border: booking on the electronic queue will have an expiration date. From October 1st, an important change is introduced in the electronic queue system at the border: booking will operate for exactly 30 calendar days. During this period you must drive your car to the waiting area, complete online registration or arrange a refund of funds.

What will change when receiving electronic documents at tax authorities. MNS warns: from October 1st, electronic documents submitted by the payer will not be accepted if they are signed by a person who is not a legal or authorized representative of the payer. Such documents will not be processed further. This requirement is aimed at improving transparency and security of document circulation.

Payment for hostel services: part of the costs will fall on the residents. From October 1, some of the expenses for maintaining hostels will be covered by the residents themselves. This includes cleaning corridors, kitchens, and halls, electricity for lighting common areas and running equipment (including elevators), staff salaries, landscaping, as well as the maintenance of fire alarms, security, and video surveillance.

Who exactly will pay for these services depends on a number of factors: the date of moving into the hostel, whether the resident's job title is on a special list, and also whether the resident is an employee of the enterprise to which the hostel is affiliated.

Inspectors and dashcams: new requirements for ticket checks. From October 5, the rules regarding the use of dashcams during ticket inspections will change. The inspection procedure itself will remain unchanged, but inspectors are now required to inform passengers that video and audio recording is taking place. Ticket checks must feature continuous recording. Additionally, specific requirements for protecting passengers' personal data have been formalized, aimed at making the process more transparent and secure for all parties involved.